


If Given A Little Privacy

by TrickstersBlessing (Rinielle)



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Background: Pre Beau/Jes, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:02:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21904918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rinielle/pseuds/TrickstersBlessing
Summary: Jester decides it's time to do something about the clear case of feelings their local Paladin and Wizard seem to have caught for one another. She's just missing one crucial detail...Widofjord Secret Santa prompt: They're dating and super obvious but everyone thinks they’re Just Pining; shenanigans ensue.
Relationships: Fjord/Caleb Widogast
Comments: 17
Kudos: 363





	If Given A Little Privacy

“Beau,” Jester whispered.

There was no response.

“Hey Beau?” she whispered again.

Beau grunted, and across the room Jester could see her shift slightly under her bed sheets.

“Beau are you awake?” she said, louder now.

“What Jester?” Beau groaned. Pulled from sleep, she turned over, dragging the sheet away from her head. Her goggles were… somewhere, but certainly not across her eyes so she could barely see her roommate. The constant street lights out on the Xhorhasian streets provided the only light, filtering in through their windows to vaguely illuminate Jester where she was apparently sat cross legged on her own bed.

“Oh good you’re up,” she chirped.

Beau sighed, resigning herself to the fact that she would be getting no sleep until Jester had aired whatever it was that had come to her at, well whatever time of day or night it was. It felt late. Whatever that meant here. She cast around, feeling for the goggles, finally sitting up as she pulled them over her head and fixed them in place.

“What’s up?” she asked, watching Jester fiddle idly with her dress, lips pouted in her usual manner when she was thinking up some scheme or other. It crossed Beau’s mind that someone - not just her - was potentially about to have their sleep interrupted.

“It’s…” Jester paused, worrying whether maybe she was wrong, and she’d woken up Beau for nothing.

"It's about Fjord,"

Beau froze for a moment, her heart suddenly hammering in her chest. Oh Gods. This was it wasn't it? She'd hoped to avoid it. She'd thought Jester had picked Nott as her confidante in all matters... Fjord. She clenched her jaw a moment, then tried to relax, breathing in the way she did in the midst of battle, when bracing for a hit.

"What about him?" she asked, proud of how her voice didn't shake.

"Do you think..." Jester chewed her lips for a moment, looking unsure, and it was so sweet it almost physically hurt. Beau tried to rearrange her face into something reassuring. Jester was amazing. Fjord would be mad not to like her. If he didn't Beau could beat him up? That was probably not what Jester wanted to hear. Fuck.

"Do you think Fjord likes Caleb?" Jester said and Beau blinked.

"Wait what?" Beau was looking at her like she'd asked if the sky was green, "Caleb?" 

Jester frowned. She wasn't totally sure, but she wouldn't have brought it up if she didn't think there were something there. Beau was usually so observant. So why did she sound like the very idea had just blindsided her?

"Ja. Caleb," she replied, "Red hair, wizard, sometimes sort of stinky but not really anymore."

"Yeah I... Know..." Beau shook her head, "Sorry. Sorry. I thought you were going to say... Someone else."

"Oh." Jester relaxed, laughing lightly, of course. She hadn't ever said anything to Beau but then she also hadn't exactly been subtle. "I know the answer to that. And it's okay. We talked."

Beau was surprised to hear that. She hadn't really picked up on any change in the way Fjord and Jester had been interacting recently.

"Anyway that's boring and I don't want to talk about it but I think Fjord might like Caleb and maybe I think Caleb might like him back and I wanted to know what you think?"

"Why... Does it matter what I think?"

"It always matters," Jester said it with such surety that it took Beau aback for a moment.

"Uuuhh," she said, eloquent as ever, "I guess I'd never really thought about it." She'd actually been making a deliberate point of not 'noticing' the potential romantic inclinations of Fjord; mostly for her own sanity. 

Jester frowned a little, she'd been hoping maybe Fjord had said something to Beau. They seemed pretty close, in that sort of pally way that she knew was going to take a bit of time for herself and him.

"Hasn't he been like. Really overprotective recently?"

Beau thought back over the last couple of weeks. Certainly Fjord had been spending a lot more time at Caleb's immediate side. In fact actually now she was thinking about it, he seemed to have been hovering around him pretty constantly. Always walking right next to him. Sitting beside him at dinner. The only times he wasn't following him around were when they all split off to their respective rooms.

"I guess a little," but then, hadn't they all been? With everything Caleb had been through in Rexxentrum, was still going through now as they tried desperately to broker some sort of peace between Nations. Even though they were back in Xhorhas for the time being, she could see Rexxentrum and Trent and Astrid and Eodwulfe hanging over him like a cloud. She said something of the sort to Jester who looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Maaaybe," she said after a moment, but that look was back on her face. The pout. 

"Jester..." 

"What?" Jester asked, her voice pitched a little higher than normal. 

"If you're planning something..." 

Jester grinned. She didn't really know how but Beau always just seemed to know. 

"Nothing bad," she said, her tail flicking behind her. "I just think maybe. Don't you think it would be nice for them both. If we sort of just... Helped them realise they like each other."

Beau groaned. Not that she hadn't seen the basic plan coming but Jester was using the word 'we' which meant she wasn't just telling Beau her plan she was hoping for her help and Ioun help her but if she was serious about this. Well. Beau had never been able to deny Jester anything even before she really knew her. 

"Jess..."

"Before you say no." Jester barrelled in, "We're just going to like. You know. Orchestrate scenarios where they can like talk and stuff. On their own." she wiggled her eyebrows and grinned when she saw Beau stifle a laugh. 

There was a second or so pause as Beau stared at her, before finally sighing and shrugging her shoulders. 

"Okay I'm in," 

Jester squeaked and clapped her hands together. This was her best idea ever.

\---

Fjord noticed first that something was up. Though what it was exactly escaped him.

He had known Jester the longest. Was accustomed to her moods and more importantly how she looked when she was conceiving of, or realising, some sort of mischief. 

They had just returned, tired and downcast, from yet another fruitless political discussion. The knowledge that they were going to go through the same thing all over again with King Dwendal tomorrow weighed heavy on the whole group. How hard was it, really, to just... Stop killing each other? They must know, all of them, that there was more to be gained from peace. Especially with Therizdun practically banging on the gates. Yet they each kept trying to outmatch the other with demands they knew would never be accepted. Meanwhile, according to both Dairon and Essik, the tentative ceasefire along the border was almost at breaking point.

Demoralised as they all were, Jester seemed in suspiciously good spirits as she popped up alongside him in the kitchen. 

"Hey Fjord. Caleb said he's going to go shopping for some more of his special chalk. Do you want to come?" 

Fjord frowned slightly. Sure that Caleb had just recently stocked up. Though, they had been doing so much back and forth lately and he would admit to still only having a limited understanding of how Caleb's spells worked. He glanced down at Jester, where she was grinning up at him. Eyes big and innocent. She was definitely up to something. Though what it could be escaped him. Still he wasn't opposed to the basic concept of going shopping with her and Caleb. 

"Sure," he said, "Let me just, get my stuff back together," 

"Okay," she chirped, "Just let him know when you're ready. He's in his room," 

"Wait. You're not comi..." but Jester was already gone. 

He shook his head, slightly confused, but if Caleb needed to shop it was certainly not a good idea for him to go alone. He finished up the little meal he had made himself and hurried upstairs to gather his things. Then made the increasingly familiar journey downstairs, and through the library to Caleb's door. Knocking softly so as not to startle him. He must have been expected as Caleb answered almost immediately. Door creaking slightly as it opened. 

"Ah hallo," 

"Ready to go?" Fjord asked, nodding his head in the direction of the door. Caleb nodded. Slipping out of his room and past Fjord, leading the way back to the hallway. He paused in the hall, looking around. 

"Is Jester waiting outside?" he asked. 

"I uh. Think something came up. So I guess it's just us," replied Fjord, "That okay?" 

Caleb huffed a little through his nose, but gave Fjord a small smile and a nod. 

"Of course," 

"We'll probably get more done without her zipping from shop to shop anyway," reasoned Fjord, already marching for the door. Caleb hesitated just a moment before following.

\---

They walked in silence at first. Caleb had never precisely been the chatty kind. Of course sometimes, if you could get him on the right topic; history, or magic, or Frumpkin, he might talk your ear off but recently he had gotten even less talkative than before. 

Fjord understood. Things were… Difficult didn't really begin to cover it. Fjord couldn't begin to understand exactly what Caleb was feeling right now. Every time they had to go back to Rexxentrum Caleb seemed to retreat just a little more into his shell and Fjord felt helpless to stop it. He tried to be there, to remind him that they were all behind him, that they weren’t going to let anything happen to him. He’d even offered to help Caleb… sort things out a little more permanently, if he so wished. It had felt like the only thing he could actually offer at the time but Caleb had yet to take him up on it. Perhaps he had misgivings about trying to take out his old master on his own turf, or perhaps he simply didn’t believe Fjord would really be able to help. Perhaps he was right. Ikithon might be an old, weasely, slimy bastard, but he was without a doubt a powerful one, and he had held onto that power for longer than Fjord had been alive. Which left him where exactly? Failing at every instance to get two nations who swore they wanted an end to the fighting to actually, stop fighting. Feeling as though, really, the only thing that he could do was take Caleb shopping. 

Not exactly useful.

As his thoughts began to spiral, out of the corner of his eye he saw Caleb sway slightly sideways, for a moment he thought he was about to fall, but before Fjord could even react he had righted himself and all that had happened was that Caleb was now a step closer and his hand was brushing against the back of Fjord’s. 

He smiled softly, flexing his fingers a moment before reaching the minimal distance to entwine with Caleb’s own, squeezing lightly as Caleb reciprocated. Sometimes he wondered if Caleb could read his mind. He hoped not. Hoped that Caleb was seeking his own comfort and not trying to comfort Fjord in turn.

Part of him wanted to pull Caleb closer, wrap an arm around his waist, perhaps bend down and place a kiss on the top of his head; but this was the first time Caleb had reached for him in public and he didn’t want to push things.

This… Whatever this was. Was still new. Undefined. A little tentative.

\---

It had started the night they’d returned to the Xhorhouse after a deeply frustrating preliminary meeting with the Bright Queen. Caleb had simply walked to his room without saying a word to anyone and after exchanging several uncomfortable glances at one another, everyone else had dispersed as well with murmured ‘Goodnight’s. Only Caduceus had lingered with Fjord for a moment in the hallway, eyes watching the door Caleb had disappeared through, then flicking to Fjord for just a moment before he too, headed for his own part of the house.

Whether he had meant to insinuate Fjord should talk to Caleb or not, Fjord still wasn’t completely sure. For all he thought he was learning more about him every day, somehow Caduceus remained something of a mystery. At first he had almost talked himself out of it. Caleb clearly wanted to be alone just then. In the end, he had been halfway to his own room, and yet he couldn’t fight the feeling that, regardless, Caleb shouldn’t be alone. He had turned on his heel and marched back down the stairs, through the library and had proceeded to hover outside Caleb’s door for almost ten minutes before finally getting the courage up to knock.

Caleb had answered, looking tired. His face pinched, in the way it used to be, before… before they had really known him, and he had really known them. Back when he had still been hiding so much of himself.

He’d only meant to talk to him, really he had, and they had, a little. About how much harder this was than they’d even imagined. About how much harder things could get. About how afraid they both were. Fjord had been trying to reassure him that whatever he needed, he’d be there.

Then Caleb had kissed him, and Fjord had stopped him. 

He had known there were feelings there, bubbling away under his surface for the wizard, but he had kept them in check so far, he could keep them at bay now. He couldn’t be just a distraction, or a balm. He didn’t think his heart could take being used that way, and he had all but told Caleb as much; perhaps not in so many words. The way Caleb had looked at him then, he’d never forget. There was hurt there, but guilt also. Apology written all over his face.

Fjord had left then. The memory of Caleb’s lips on his, however briefly, lingering for the rest of the night.

Caleb asked him to come again, the next day. Using his message spell as Fjord was turning in for the night. He almost said no, but just as he had been unable to stop staring at him all day, even to the point of losing the thread of negotiations more than once, he was unable to deny Caleb this now.

“I wanted to apologise,” Caleb had said.

He had retreated across the room as soon as he had shown Fjord in, leaning himself against the little writing desk in the far corner, eyes downcast.

“Caleb that’s not…”

“It is. It is necessary.” Caleb pressed, shaking his head, “The last thing that I would ever want to do is use you Fjord. I was, for a long time, using all of you, so I thought at least, but I do not wish to be that person. If seeing Trent again has shown me anything it is that, I do not wish to be like him, I don’t want to use people, especially not you, not after everything you went through,”

Fjord swallowed.

“You’re not,” he said, quietly, “You’re not like him Caleb, I never meant…”

“I want, to be very clear, even if it changes nothing,” said Caleb, finally dragging his eyes from the floor to meet Fjord’s, and there was something of himself back in them that had been missing for days. A spark Fjord had thought had been snuffed out. “I kissed you because I wanted to,” He said, “Because I have wanted to for some time but everything has been so…”

“Crazy?” Offered Fjord, his mouth suddenly very dry, “Messed up?”

Caleb had laughed a little, his gaze shifting back to the floor.

“Ja, I suppose that’s a simple way to put it,”

Fjord moved forwards, slowly, gaging Caleb’s reaction, but he made no move to edge away, not even when Fjord was barely a foot away from him, though he kept his eyes trained down.

“You really wanted to?”

“Ja.”

“Why?”

Caleb laughed, eyes lifting again and looking over Fjord’s face with a softness he had only seen a few times before, usually it was reserved for Nott, or on occasion Jester and Beau. It usually came when he was looking at them, and thought nobody was looking at him; but Fjord had seen. 

“Have you met you Fjord?”

“Honestly?” Fjord shook his head, “I’m not sure I even know who me is.”

“Well, I hope that you can get to know him one day,” Caleb reached out a tentative hand to take Fjord’s, “He’s really quite something. I don’t know where I would be without him,”

“You’d be just fine,” replied Fjord, “You’re stronger than you think you are Caleb. I hope you see that,”

Caleb had started to turn away, and Fjord could almost see him beginning to shut down, pulling up his walls of self-hatred at the first sign of a compliment. He bent in, pressing a kiss to his half turned away cheek, catching him just enough off guard that whatever process had started shuttered to a stop and he turned wide, hopeful eyes on Fjord.

“Just for the record,” Fjord said quietly, “Walking away last night was the hardest Gods damned thing I’ve done, and that’s saying something given the year we’ve had,”

“It was the right thing to do,” Caleb almost whispered.

“Sure it was,” Fjord laughed lightly, “We’re sure to manage that occasionally right?” He leant in again, slower this time, waiting for Caleb.

“Fjord…” he watched Caleb swallow, his jaw clenched, “I’m not… I don’t think this is going to be easy. I’m… not… easy,”

Fjord sighed, squeezing the hand still in his and leaning just enough to rest his forehead against Caleb’s.

“Shit Caleb, if I was looking for easy I’d be out with Orly on the ocean right now,” he said, “I’m not exactly a walk along the shore myself, incase you haven’t noticed. None of us are. I don’t want easy, and I don’t… think I can make everything okay for you just by kissing you if that’s what you’re worried about,”

Caleb’s silence was answer enough to show that was exactly what he was worrying about.

“You were clear with me, so let me be clear with you,” Fjord continued, ducking his head to catch Caleb’s eye, “I’m not saying there aren’t moments when I wish I could just wipe away every bad thought you have about yourself, and I’m definitely not saying I don’t want to tear the heads off the people who hurt you, because I do, and so do the others by the way so just, you know, say the word.” Caleb sighed, and Fjord felt his breath brush his collar, “But I don’t still want to be here with you right now because I think I can make this all go away for either of us, I’m here because I want to be here and hopefully because you still want me here,”

“I do,”

“Okay then,” Fjord felt nerves fluttering a little in his stomach, but he smiled through it, “Shall we finish what we started?”

“Unless you forgot I think I started it last time,”

Fjord kissed him. Mostly because he wanted to, and just a little bit because he knew they could go on talking themselves around it for hours if he didn’t.

\---

Since then, whenever they were back at the Xhorhouse Fjord would wait until everyone else had retired to their own rooms before leaving his own room and making the journey down to Caleb’s. Frankly he was beginning to think he could take over from Nott in the sneaking around department.

Things were slow. Mostly they talked, some nights for hours, others for barely a few minutes before exhaustion caught them up and left them curled, slightly awkwardly atop Caleb’s bed. Fjord swore he had never slept so well as with Caleb beside him. 

They had decided not to tell the others. For now. Everything was so fresh the idea of telling the rest of their, rather chaotic friends seemed akin to tossing them a keg of gunpowder and something to light it with; and they’d seen how that ended up. Still, they had tried to find moments where they could, lingering at the back of the group when they walked, sitting together at dinner. They were lucky that everyone felt the same deep biting hatred towards Trent and had therefore been more focused on him than the quiet hand Caleb had wound around Fjord’s wrist the last time he’d made some pointed comment at ‘Bren’. 

They were better like this for now. Walking quietly together down lamp lit streets, palm to palm. Fjord noted they got the occasional funny look, and couldn’t help but be slightly amused that it was Caleb drawing most of the attention. If they had done this in the Empire, he knew it would be the other way around. Things in Xhorhas seemed flipped on their head. It was no wonder it was so difficult to get these places to see eye to eye. Still, their reputation rather preceded them by now and those few who didn’t show any signs of recognition at least seemed to think twice about saying or doing anything about it.

Caleb did his little swaying motion again, this time ending up leaning against Fjord’s side entirely.

“You doing okay there?” Fjord asked.

“Mmm, I am just tired,”

Fjord rolled his eyes fondly. Trust Caleb to want to go shopping even when he was exhausted.

“What is it you needed to get?” he heard him say and blinked.

“Huh? Me? Nothing,”

Caleb paused, bringing them both to a stop.

“You don’t need anything?"

“I’m just here for you,” replied Fjord, and he glanced around them, getting his bearings as he realised his thoughts had been wandering, “Actually I think we went passed the place you usually get your chalks from?”

“My chalks?” 

Fjord blinked at him. “Yeah, your chalks,”

“Fjord, I stocked up two days ago in… in Rexxentrum, I have plenty,”

“Jester said you said you wanted to get some more,”

“She told me you had some things you wanted to get,”

Fjord looked over his shoulder, peering back through the streets, but he couldn’t see any sign of Jester, or indeed anyone who looked like they were perhaps following them. Was this some sort of prank? What exactly did she hope to achieve by it? Hadn’t he thought she was acting weird? Why did he never listen to his gut around her when he knew her so well?

“I am thinking we have been played for some reason,” said Caleb slowly, also turning on the spot to look around them, “I am just not sure what it is,”

It occurred to Fjord quite suddenly that though he and Caleb had made some, questionable, choices in the past. They were, where Jester was concerned, often the more prominent voices of reason.

“I think maybe we should go back to the house,”

“I think you’re right!”

\---

As it turned out, the house was fine, though Jester seemed rather put out by their sudden reappearance, so perhaps they had simply returned too soon for her to carry out whatever plot she had concocted. 

\---

Caleb began to suspect something was off a few days later. Six times he had walked into a room with the group either all or mostly together and six times Beau had almost immediately left and taken someone else with her. Followed not long after by Jester should she be present. Until only Fjord and he were left in increasingly bewildered silence. Besides which he and Fjord had now been asked to run errands out of the house several times and each time they had returned nothing seemed to be different. He wasn't complaining precisely about spending time with Fjord alone. Indeed one of their worries had been how they were ever going to manage any alone time with the rest of their chaotic crew around. It was just odd and a little unsettling. 

One awful part of his brain kept trying to argue that they just didn't want to be around him but he was working on drowning that voice out. Somehow it always seemed easier in Rosohna. Besides which, the same thing had happened when Fjord had joined Yasha, Caduceus, Jester and himself in the rooftop garden that evening. First Jester had asked to talk privately with Yasha. Then, as Caduceus retreated down the stairs, after Jester had popped back up to ask for his help with something in the kitchen, Fjord dropped down beside Caleb with a thump. 

"Do we smell?" he asked. 

Caleb frowned a moment leaning over towards Fjord and making a show of sniffing. He smelled… good. Like Fjord. 

"No worse than usual. I had a bath this morning."

"Then have we offended everyone or something?" 

Caleb shook his head. Everyone was acting very oddly. Even Nott, who had been eyeing him for the last two days, more so even than usual. Sometimes she looked worried - he was used to that - and other times as though he had done something deeply offensive. 

He leant back on his hands, tipping his head to look up at the brightly lit tree that announced their currently being in residence. Mad as it was, against the pitch black sky it really did look beautiful. 

"Not that I'm complaining of course." he heard Fjord say beside him and he couldn't help but smile. Shuffling sideways just a little so he could rest his head on Fjord's shoulder, the two of them gazed up into the endless night's sky. Whatever was going on, if it meant moments like this it wasn't wholly bad. 

\---

"Caleb really looks good in his new coat doesn't he," 

"Yeah he... I Mean. What?" 

Jester smiled up at him, "It's nice to see him smiling a bit more. Don't you think?" she asked. 

Fjord stared at her a moment, but she seemed genuine, and indeed while he wasn't sure what suddenly made her say it, he also couldn't see any reason to think she might not just genuinely be glad Caleb was starting to relax a little again. It was a relief. He had been starting to worry. 

"It is," he agreed, "I think… Being here and not there helps."

Jester blinked. Then turned her eyes back to Caleb; still smiling, though a little sadly now. 

"I think." she paused a moment before saying, "I think we help, a bit," 

Fjord smiled now, nudging her shoulder gently. 

"A bit more than a bit," he replied. 

"You should tell him,"

"Tell him we're helping?" Fjord looked back at her, confused. 

Jester laughed at him. "No stupid, tell him he looks good in his coat," 

Fjord narrowed his eyes at her. 

"Why don't you tell him?" he asked and Jester threw him a look as if he were a complete idiot. 

"I can't tell him that," she said, "What if he thinks I have a crush on him or something and then he falls violently in love with me and like I have to be all like 'Oh Caleb. I'm sorry but I cannot return your love'. It would be a disaster!" As she said all of this she was already backing out of the room and before he could respond, she was gone. 

\---

"So uh Fjord looks good today," 

"What?" 

"I said. Fjord looks good today. Like he looks… nice."

Caleb had certainly noticed. Fjord was wearing that white shirt that billowed slightly at the collar and it was actually becoming quite the problem; he was trying to study. Why in Exandria Beauregard saw fit to comment on it was beyond his comprehension however. 

"Did you hit your head?"

"No. Did you?"

"Where is that suddenly coming from, I thought you only liked women," 

"What's that supposed to… Oh. Fuck you that's gross," Beau spluttered, "I was just. It was a basic objective observation asshole," 

"I'm not judging you Beauregard, Fjord is a very attractive man, anyone might be…" 

"Fuck you shut the fuck up," 

Caleb chuckled a little as she stormed off. Sometimes she was too easy to rile up. He shook his head, trying to refocus on the text in front of him. Something really was weird but right now he had enough distractions with Fjord leant over a book only a short distance away, looking effortlessly studious and yet somehow still windswept; occasionally stretching the best he could in his chair. Whatever was going on, the last thing he wanted to be thinking about right now was Beau. 

\---

The final straw was their return to Rexxentrum. Caleb was edgy again. Fjord could practically feel him vibrating with the desperate want to be anywhere else. 

As had become his habit he had stuck close by Caleb's side for most of the day but as they returned to their lodgings he began the usual process of slowly distancing himself. Then Jester had announced they were having a girl's night. Which would, of course, mean that Nott would be going to stay in her, Beau and Yasha's shared room, and not, as was the usual state of affairs, with Caleb. Fjord didn't need to be hovering at Caleb's back to know he'd frozen.

Nott shot Jester an almost pained look, glancing back and forth between her and Caleb. 

"Uh, I don't think Caleb should be alone right now. I should stay with him," she said. 

Jester laughed, "Don't be silly Nott Caleb won't be on his own, he can room with Fjord," 

Nott looked for a moment like she'd swallowed something unpleasant but as Jester grabbed her by the shoulders and began to steer her away, leaning down to whisper something in her ear, she relented. 

"Don't worry Nott," Fjord called after her, hoping to sound reassuring, "Caduceus and I will make sure he's okay."

"Oh. Caduceus is coming with us," said Jester, grabbing Caduceus arm with the hand not guiding Nott. 

"Oh well that sounds lovely," Caduceus rumbled, smiling pleasantly, "I've never been to a girls night before," 

"Well you know. The more the merrier," 

Fjord blinked, utterly confused. 

"Okay. That is it. What is going on?" Caleb, who hadn't uttered a word outside the negotiations themselves, since their arrival, suddenly shouted. 

The girls, and Caduceus, all stopped in their tracks. 

"What do you mean Caleb?" asked Jester, all innocence, which was of course highly suspicious. 

"You are all up to something, and it has something to do with Fjord and I so would someone care to explain?" 

"What are you talking about?" asked Beau. 

Fjord stepped forwards to stand beside Caleb and join him in staring down their friends. Jester was unmoving, just smiles and wide eyes as usual. Yasha looked mildly uncomfortable but then, that wasn't entirely unusual when she was under scrutiny. Beau was looking back at them both like they had challenged her to a fight and Caduceus looked genuinely baffled, and in fact started looking across the girls himself. 

Their eyes landed on Nott who was looking shiftily around the way she often did when she had something she wanted to say but knew she shouldn't. 

"Nott…" Caleb caught her eye, and she bit her lip but remained silent. 

After a couple of minutes of silence passed Beau threw her arms up. 

"Are we under interrogation here or can we go to bed cos I'm fucking tired."

Caleb looked about ready to snap at her, and whilst Fjord was rather sure it would be justified, really the last thing Caleb needed right now was to start fighting with the group. Clearly something was up, and he was beginning to think he knew what it was, but it could wait. He put a hand on Caleb's shoulder, squeezing gently. Whatever Caleb was about to say to Beau went, thankfully, unsaid. 

"It's fine." said Fjord, "You guys have fun," 

Yasha looked as though she exhaled with relief, and she immediately marched away down the corridor towards her, Jester and Beau's shared room. Nott shot Jester a slightly dirty look but followed.

"Night then," Beau waved a hand and moved away as well, patting Caduceus on the shoulder as she passed. He turned to Fjord. 

"I can stay with the two of you," he said, "If you prefer," 

Fjord smiled, reassured that whatever was happening, Caduceus, ever the one to advocate for honesty, was apparently simply unaware of this scheme of Jester's and, by the looks of things, Beau's. 

"That's okay Cad," he said, "We'll be okay," 

Caduceus eyed them both for a moment. What it was he was looking for, Fjord would likely never know, but he nodded and said, "I'm sure you will," before following Beau down the hall. Jester skipped after him. 

"Have fun you two!!!" she called out, just before she disappeared into the room, slamming the door and leaving the two of them stood slightly awkwardly in the hallway. Silence reigned for several moments before Fjord finally gave in and broke it. 

"So… Your place or mine?" he immediately cringed, hating himself for the joke the moment it was out of his mouth. Caleb didn't so much respond as he sighed and walked towards his own room. Fjord watched him go, contemplating for a moment going after Jester and the others to tell them how mad he was at them somewhere Caleb wouldn't get caught up in it all. Caleb paused at his door and Fjord shook it off. 

"Yours it is," he muttered, more to himself than anything, and he followed Caleb into his room. 

Alone and away from prying eyes he watched Caleb curl in on himself. He could almost hear the cogs whirring in his mind trying to fight whatever negativity was flooding through him right now, and Fjord gritted his teeth and reminded himself that, if he was right, then the others were only trying to help. Not with any particular style but trying nonetheless. He again fought the urge to march off and tell them exactly how ridiculous this plan was and instead crossed the room, pulling Caleb close. 

It took a moment but eventually Caleb's arms wrapped around Fjord in return and he buried his head near his shoulder. His breathing was steady at least; that was good. 

"You figured them out yet?" Asked Fjord after a few minutes and Caleb pulled back just enough to look up at him. 

"No…" he replied, frowning the way he often did when he was staring at some magical object he just couldn't quite figure out. Fjord wasn't surprised. Caleb was smarter than anyone he had ever known, but this simply wasn't the sort of thing he would likely think of. It took a slightly less strictly bookish mind and one that instead knew Jester Lavorre's playbook just a little better. Fjord leant forward pressing a kiss to Caleb's head.

"They're trying to matchmake us," he said, and he watched the dawning realisation on Caleb's face. If he hadn't been quite so upset until that exact moment it would have been rather comical to see. 

"They're…" 

"Trying to get us together, yes," 

"Why?" 

Fjord shrugged. "Why does Jester do anything?" Even he wasn't able to answer that question. He suspected even Jester didn't always know why she took certain courses of action. 

"Jester I get," said Caleb "But. The others? Why would they?"

"I don't think Caduceus knows. Yasha is probably just going along with it because the others are. Nott cares about you… If Jester convinced her this would make you happy…" a small smile pulled at Caleb's mouth, though he tried to hide it.

"And Beau," Fjord continued, "Let's just say Beau will do whatever Jester asks of her right now."

Caleb's eyes rolled, which really went to show just how badly Beau was hiding her adoration for their little blue tiefling. Come to that, Jester had been acting increasingly weird around Beau recently. Fjord wondered briefly if a little taste of their own medicine might not be worth pursuing. 

"Ah…" Caleb said suddenly, pulling him from his thoughts of simultaneous revenge and bro-manship. 

"What's up," 

"Nein, it's nothing. I just… realised why Nott has been acting particularly oddly," 

"You mean why she keeps looking at you like you insulted her entire family and at me like I killed Nugget in front of Luc?" 

Caleb paused a moment, chewing his lip slightly and looking concerned. "She loves you Fjord," he said eventually. 

Fjord laughed. "I know. But that's not going to stop her trying to stab me if I ever make you cry." He had long since accepted that his and Nott's relationship was likely always to be based on mutual shit talking one minute and risking their lives for each other the next. He was okay with that, and he'd take whatever she threw at him for this. He had no intention whatsoever of hurting Caleb, and honestly if it were anyone else he'd probably be stood beside Nott for the inevitable shovel talk. 

"Should we… Tell them?" 

"Tell them what?" 

"That we are… Already together."

Fjord's heart suddenly picked up.

"Are we? Then."

Caleb loosened his grip on Fjord's waist to reach a hand up to his face, cupping his cheek gently. Fjord leant into it, lips skimming across the scar that was still visible on his palm. 

"I think we both know we're in this?" and though it should have been a statement, Caleb sounded unsure. Fjord smiled, reaching up to take the hand on his cheek with his own, and leaning down to kiss him properly, taking the little sigh of relief as evidence that his answer was heard loud and clear. 

"So," Caleb muttered against his lips, "Do we tell them?" 

Fjord thought for a minute. On the one hand, though it was slightly embarrassing to know how obvious they both must have been, being regarding their feelings, it would be hilarious to see the looks on the groups faces once they realised that they had been trying to get together two people who were already together. 

On the other hand, however, he had Caleb alone for the first time in a room not within easy earshot of an entire nosy household for this first time in weeks. On top of which as long as everyone kept believing they were simply oblivious and in need of quality time to realise their feelings for one another, then they might actually continue getting said quality time. 

"Maybe… Not just yet," he said quietly, catching Caleb's eye. It took a moment but Caleb's mind worked fast, a small smile pulled at his lips and for once he didn't try to hide it. 

"Well. I suppose they have worked very hard to come up with all these plans it would be a shame not to let them use them all?" he replied, nuzzling at Fjord's neck, just below his ear, a place he had only very recently learned made Fjord shiver. 

"Yes. It would be… rude to cut off their experiment so early," 

"We would not want to be rude," 

Fjord gave in then, pressing forwards and capturing Caleb's lips again. Walking him back towards the, really very comfortable and conveniently large bed. 

\---

The next day, once they had straightened themselves out, they joined the others for breakfast. Two seats beside one another had been left conspicuously empty between Caduceus and Nott. They took them, aware of the questioning gazes being shot at them, but they were each of them well used to facades and if any of those in on the scheme noticed anything off, they weren't saying anything. 

\---

Another week passed and things were finally starting to move in a promising direction regarding the peace negotiations. Just in time as Jester reminded them all that her… Gathering of Traveller followers was now imminent. 

Over the course of those days Fjord and Caleb had been left in shops all over Rexxentrum and Rosohna. Had turned up to dinner twice to be told their friends had requested food in their rooms. They were even 'accidentally' locked in a closet for all of twenty seconds before Caleb let them out with a simple spell. They might have been tempted to stay put, but it was cramped and smelly and there had been a broom handle poking at Fjord's back. Caleb had made a mental note to find and then recommend some better romance novels to Jester if that was her idea of a romantic way to realise your feelings.

In the end they never had to say a word. Beau simply threw her hands in the air at the kitchen table of the Xhorhouse one day after watching Fjord pull Caleb's chair out for him. 

"That's it. I give up. When are you two just going to fucking admit you're in love with one another? Frankly it's exhausting watching you."

Fjord schooled his face to try and look shocked but before he or Caleb could say anything Caduceus piped up instead. 

"Why would they say anything now?" he asked, looking heartily confused, "They've been together almost a month. It would be a little late."

Stunned silence reigned for a good thirty seconds and then all hell broke loose. As their friends lost their collective minds over the revelation, surprisingly the focus on Caleb and Fjord was mostly lost, all but Caduceus turning to one another incredulous and trying to understand how they could possibly have missed it. Caleb leant sideways a little, leaning against Fjord's shoulder, smiling as Fjord' ducked his head to rest against his. They'd no doubt be getting shit for this for the foreseeable future, but they'd weather it, and for now they simply enjoyed their last moments of relative calm.


End file.
